Paul from Hamilton checks in……
Thanks for stopping by to read my blog….today….I’m handing it off to Paul from Hamilton. In case you’ve missed it, we’ve spent a bit of time ‘hacking’ on The Hammer. Springsteen is set to play a show at Copps Coliseum on March 3rd, 2008. Our promo for the show, and the tickets we have, is based upon picking on Hamilton. Some folks have taken exception to all of this. Paul gets it and we’re glad. Thanks for taking the time to send this in Paul. It’s appreciated. Let me preface this by telling you Paul’s grammar was correct before I cut and pasted his email…..so the missing indents, commas et al are my fault….I’m still working on figuring out this blog stuff……Sam
Hey Sam,
Well, I live and grew up in Hamilton. The problem here is that like usual, most Torontonians have NO CLUE or knowledge of anything outside of the GTA. Call it self-centered, or oblivious to the rest of the world or whatever, but like every other city in Ontario (including Toronto), they have good areas and bad areas. Most Torontonians judge Hamilton from what they see while driving over the Skyway on the QEW going to the USA – and yes that is the heart of the industry area which is gross, dirty and the roughest part of the city. The ones that actual venture into Hamilton for an event like the Springsteen concert only see the downtown core which is probably the second worst area of the city. But what about on the mountain or Hessvillage, or Flamborough, or Dundas, or Westdale, or Ancaster…….(if you are reading this and don’t know where ALL these places are, you are proving my point). Toronto has some really “scary” sections too – Jane/Finch, anywhere under the gardener, the east side industrial waste lands, portions of Etobicoke, portions of Scarborough. In regards to the one-way streets comments, this just proves my point again; they change most of those years ago! Did you know that if you go back on the history of Hamilton and Toronto, that Hamilton was the original point of settlement for people due to the habour off of Lake Ontario. Hamilton was before Toronto. Because of these first settlements, most industry was built close to where people lived – Hamilton. As these settlements grew and prospered, good economics help grow the population more and more which led to the development and growth of
Toronto. So if it wasn’t for Hamilton, they very well may not have ever been a
Toronto. So don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Don’t leave shelter lives, get out and discover your province or country for that matter and it’s wonderful history.
Lastly, please don’t get me wrong, I think the promo spot is classic and very funny. Just like we make jokes about the Maple Laughs, the Blow Jays, The Purple Dinos, the squeegee kids, the street people, or all the shootings etc. – it is just in jest – laugh a little people and if you’re from Hamilton, for the sake of your sister Gina, try to get the joke!
Cheers, I have to get back to my Lakeport now.
Paul
Let’s say we use ’steeltown’ as a Jack Nation bonus code today, it’s worth 100 points…..thanks for stopping by……see ya on the radio….Sam
November 29th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Thanks Sam for posted my comments in your Blog and for the kind words on my articulation. Oh, by the way, if JACK has any problems giving away the Springsteen tickets, I will be glad to help you out by taking them – I will just hold my breath while downtown at the concert!!!!!
November 29th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Hamilton still stinks…like rotting fish and molten steel. No matter how many words you write.
November 29th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
I know someone from Dundas and when he says where he’s from and people reply ‘oh you’re from Hamilton’ he always says ‘No, Dundas. Not Hamilton’……..so I geuss some people from Dundas don’t like Hamilton either!
I’m just saying……
November 29th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
its kinda the same where i come from in engalnd. i live across the mersey river in a city called birkenhead. we are very close neighbors of liverpool. we have the same skitting all the time but the humor never stops overthere. love the hamilton promo. mike. p.s. hey sam, dont know if its old age but i heard you and jeff say the morning bonus code. soon as i went to put it in my mind has gone blank. hopefully you can pass it on. ha! the beattles just came on as im typing.
November 29th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
I totally agree with Paul! Coming from what is known as the Armpit of Ontario (Oshawa), I would not be offended if the commercial and all the jokes were about my hometown. I’m pretty sure Oshawa has a worse reputation than Hamilton but I never feel embarrassed to say I was born and raised here and I can also laugh along with all the jokes about Oshawa especially when the people from Oshawa are the ones making most of the jokes! My point is these people that are so offended about the Springsteen-Hamilton commercial need to loosen up!
November 29th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
However you wanna try to justify Hamilton………it is , and will always be the unperfumed “Armpit” of Ontario…sorry skids, thats the way it goes..
November 29th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Paul presented a pretty balanced view - Hamilton isn’t all as bad as the promo makes it sound and people should have a sense of humour about it. It’s true that many Torontonians are pretty GTA-centric, but, then again, half the people in Toronto aren’t actually from Toronto (like myself) so you just have to laugh it off. Have to confess what Paul says is true; my only impressions of Hamilton have been formed a) while I passed it on the QEW en route to US for outlet shopping and b) the one and only time I went downtown Hamilton for a show.
November 29th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Paul summed up my feelings for Hamilton, where I have lived for 25 years now. It has its good and bad parts. Most people do not know the good parts. And in response to Craigs post: it stinks like rotting fish and steel down at the bayfront sometimes, because that is where the fish and steel industries are; the rest of the city generally does not stink.
November 29th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
I just caught on too the whole Hamilton controversy, and it’s good too see
some intelligent points of views in very few comments. Kudos Samantha,
for sharing the e-mail, Paul makes some good points.
As does Wizard. A sense of humour is a gift in life, in my opinion, but referring to any city in Canada as a “third world country”
is just low.
November 29th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
You were right Sam, the email from Paul is a good one, everything else aside. People from different areas in the ‘Golden Horseshoe’ need to joke with each other and find out more about the history of the little nook of southern Ontario that we live in.
How many people have been to Balls Falls near St. Catharines or have taken a bike ride down Highway 2 from Toronto and Highway 8 (I’ve done it on a bicycle and a motorcycle) and over the old draw bridge across Burlington Bay (is it still there?). Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I think there is a lot of beauty along Highway 8 below Hamilton Mountain.
But what do I know, I’ve only lived in the Toronto area since 1966.
I guess one of Murphy’s Laws will dictate no matter where in the world we live in; there is always someone who will complain about anything.
November 29th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Hey Paul,
don’t fret…
the fact that Springstein’s playing in your home town is enough said, and you guys/girls are excited that he’s going to perform there.
hell I’m just glad he’s coming back up here again, even if it is @ 35 mins drive out to see him. (I wasn’t fortunate to get to see him when he was in T.O.)
Therefore: the people of Hamilton should all stand proud, then repeat after me–” The Boss” is coming to our little town….Canada’s Steel Town… even if it is a little stinky….
Cheers to you, and the rest of Hamiltonians who are also having a Lakeport…..
Your neighbour
Vinnie. C
P.S…. By the way, I forgot to say hello to the number one d.j who makes everyones day a great one just by turning on the radio… HI SAMANTHA…